Driver assistance systems of various types are known from the prior art; said various types of driver assistance systems often do not serve alone for relieving the driver but also influence the traffic flow to the effect that a steady and uniform driving style is made possible. This not only increases the safety in road traffic but also helps to reduce fuel consumption and therefore the CO2 emissions. In particular in urban areas with increased traffic volume, this can permit more efficient and more environmentally friendly control of the traffic. An example of such a driver assistance system is what is referred to as the traffic light phase assistant which is expected to be implemented as an integral component in all new vehicles as claimed in the current standardization efforts with the introduction of vehicle-to-X communication (“V2X communication”) over a large area.
DE 10 2007 048 809 A1, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a method and a device for detecting concealed objects in road traffic. Here, the surroundings of a vehicle are detected by means of sensors and corresponding information is subsequently transmitted to vehicles located in the surroundings by means of an interface for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The transmitted information is received by the vehicles in the surroundings and used by said vehicles to extend a surroundings model. Furthermore, a situation analysis of the surroundings model which is extended in such a way and an evaluation of the situation of the vehicle in question are carried out.
DE 10 2008 060 869 A1, which is incorporated by reference, describes a method and a device for assisting an operator of a vehicle which is approaching a traffic signal installation. The traffic signal installation has two different operating states, wherein in a first operating state it is permitted to drive over a stop line, and in a second operating state it is not permitted to drive over the stop line. The vehicle receives a signal which describes the current operating state of the traffic signal installation and a time period up to a change in the operating state. On the basis of the received signal, the vehicle checks whether the stop line of the traffic signal installation can be reached at a speed from a predefined speed range while the traffic signal installation is in the first operating state. The speed of the vehicle is influenced or the driver is issued with a recommendation for correspondingly influencing the speed, as a function of the result of the check.
The traffic light phase assistants which are known in the prior art have disadvantages insofar as it is assumed that all the vehicles located in the surroundings, as well as the vehicle in question, are enabled to receive, transmit and process vehicle-to-X messages. However, in reality this is generally not the case. Following vehicles which are following the vehicle equipped with the traffic light phase assistant and which are not enabled for vehicle-to-X communication can therefore often not track the driving-off behavior of the vehicle in front to a traffic signal installation. This can lead to different reactions on the part of the drivers of the following vehicles, ranging from incomprehension to irritation and even aggression.